Literacy Letter from Dr.

Pam Schiller

Dear Family,
The Frog Street Pre-K curriculum supports every aspect of your childs developmentphysical, social, emotional, cognitive, and linguistic. One important focus is the development of language and literacy skills. The program is supported by an impressive body of research on how young children develop early literacy and pre-reading skills. Children learn skills through playful, child-centered activities that ensure they maintain their love of language as they develop their ability to decipher it. Frog Street Pre-K honors this joyful approach to learning. Woven into intriguing themes, language and literacy activities are designed to purposefully address the following.

Phonological Awareness
being able to hear and reproduce sounds
Children will become aware of how sounds in words work. They will identify and manipulate parts of spoken languagewords, syllables, beginning sounds, rhymes, onsets (the sound in a word preceding the first vowel), and rimes as well as individual phonemes. Children will participate in reciting rhymes, chants, and finger plays; clapping syllables in words and words in sentences; and singing songs intentionally selected to develop and refine their listening ability.

Comprehension
retelling stories in own words
Children will learn to answer and generate questions and to identify story structure (plot, setting, characters). Children will listen to several stories each day and participate in discussing the story, answering and posing questions, story mapping, and comparing and contrasting stories and characters.

Written Expression
understanding of the functions of writing
Children develop an understanding of the purpose of writing and of how to use writing to convey their thoughts. Children will participate in Morning Message each day. During this time the teacher will model writing. Throughout the day children will practice their writing skills as they write notes, maintain a journal, create books, label pictures, and much more. Your child will spend this school year hard at work developing the necessary concepts and attaining skills that provide the foundation for reading and writing success. Thank you for supporting your childs efforts. Remember the joy, Pam Schiller, Ph.D.

Alphabet Knowledge
recognizing letters and their function
Children will learn to recognize and name uppercase and lowercase letters and that each letter makes a unique sound. Children will participate in letter recognition activities and learn to reproduce letters as they practice identifying the differences in their shapes and lines.

Vocabulary
learning words
Children use words to communicate effectively when speaking and when understanding what others say. Children will grow their vocabularies as they engage in conversations with peers and adults and through intentional vocabulary instruction associated with books and lessons.
2010 Frog Street Press, Inc.

Family Connections CD

Literacy Letter